Osaka-Kizu Wholesale Market, Private wholesale market in Naniwa-ku, Japan
Osaka-Kizu Wholesale Market is a private market in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, where around 135 traders sell fresh produce and seafood. Goods move through the facility via early-morning auctions, after which buyers can browse organized stalls grouped by product type.
The market traces its origins to an informal gathering of farmers over 300 years ago and moved to its current site in 1938. After the Second World War, it reopened in 1950 as a privately run operation and has continued in that form since.
The market has long been a meeting point for restaurant chefs and home cooks who come to buy directly from traders. The stalls are grouped by product type, making it easy to move through the space and talk directly with sellers.
The market is open on weekdays and Saturdays and is most active in the early morning when auctions take place. Arriving early gives a better sense of how the market works, though the pace can be brisk and the space busy.
The market grounds include a bathhouse with hot pools and saunas that buyers and sellers can use between transactions. Next to it is a food area with restaurant stalls serving dishes made from ingredients bought fresh at the market that same morning.
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